Arch Manning's performance against UTSA is reminiscent of the dominance his uncles Peyton and Eli Manning frequently displayed every week in the NFL - although the Texas star stands to learn more from star quarterback Quinn Ewers than his uncles.
The 21-year-old Ewers helped turn around a struggling Texas program, which went 5-7 the year before his arrival. With Ewers joining the program, the Longhorns improved to 8-5 the next year and won their first five games of the 2023 season, finishing with an impressive 12-2 record, showing just how much promise Ewers and Texas have together .
As he continues to improve, Ewers made it a point to share just how much it meant for him to finish his collegiate career at Texas. More importantly, Ewers noted how he wanted to be one of the driving forces to help Texas reach the pinnacle of the sport along with head coach Steve Sarkisian.
“I want to be the quarterback who worked every year to get better," Ewers shared with ESPN's Pete Thamel [ h/t Fox Sports Radio ]. "The quarterback who loved his teammates, the quarterback who won a lot of football games and brought Texas football back to the top of college football where it belongs.”
And so far, Ewers is doing just that, leading Texas to a Big 12 championship and a College Football Playoff berth. With Ewers leading the way, the Longhorns currently are undefeated early in the season, showing that the 21-year-old is doing what he can to make good on his promise to bring Texas to the top of college football.
Even Hollywood star Matthew McConaughey was impressed with Ewers' performance, praising the young quarterback in an appearance on a FOX football broadcast. "There's a lot to be happy about in the first half on both sides of the ball. I think we can easily say [Ewers] is pretty talented," the A-lister said of the redshirt junior .
"The defensive line is getting to him and he's stepping up in the pocket and he made a lot of plays doing that. He looks really poised. The pressure is getting there, but he is stepping up in the pocket and still making plays before he's crossed the line of scrimmage. The poise back there, he looks great, and the receivers are getting open. The O-line is giving him just enough time to do what he needs to do."
Along with impressing Hollywood stars, Ewers has been what he can to impart knowledge to Manning as well. Though it is truly unknown what the two say behind closed doors, Ewers' influence was apparent after Manning had to take over for the quarterback after he sustained what is being called a "strained abdomen" by Sarkisian.
In the Longhorns' 56-7 win over the Roadrunners, Manning showed glimpses of what life would be like for Texas after Ewers departs. In his first two offensive possessions, Manning had a 19-yard passing touchdown and an impressive 67-yard rushing touchdown.
Overall, Manning finished with five touchdowns on the night, completing 9-of-12 pass attempts for 223 yards. Meanwhile Ewers completed 14-of-16 attempts for 185 yards with two touchdowns and one interception before he departed Saturday's game.
Still, while Manning showed out against the Roadrunners, Ewers' experience is still what will lead the Longhorns to glory, when it is all said and done. For now, Texas can take solace in the fact that Ewers has lived up to his promise of taking Texas to where it wants to be, all while preparing Manning for what is to come.
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